Right Hand Drive Guys

Send us Fan Mail
What starts with blowing up your own Subaru can apparently turn into building some of the cleanest Skylines in the country.
In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron sit down with Tommy Kentner of TK AutoWorks in Clarksville, Tennessee to talk about how he went from fixing his own blown-up 2005 STI to running a performance and restoration shop specializing in Subarus, Evos, Nissan GT-Rs, Skyline GT-Rs and Toyota Supras.
Tommy breaks down the progression from backyard Subaru builds to R35 GT-Rs, Skylines and full-scale restorations, including what it takes to build reliable 500–600 horsepower street cars versus the maintenance and headaches that come with chasing four-digit horsepower.
The guys also get into Skyline restoration, hidden rust, what buyers need to watch for when importing cars from Japan, TK AutoWorks’ approach to building cars around a customer’s long-term goals, and why Tommy and technician Adrian prefer keeping the operation small rather than sacrificing quality just to increase volume.
Tommy also shares the story behind his own Midnight Purple R33 GT-R, why Skylines are still the cars that excite him most when they come through the shop, and some of the wild builds TK AutoWorks has put together—including 900-horsepower R32s, TH400 conversions, full engine-bay restorations, titanium fabrication and high-end street builds.
The conversation eventually turns to GTR Festival, old-school car culture, modern takeovers, and why so many enthusiasts want to get back to the days when people could simply meet in a parking lot, admire each other's cars and enjoy the scene without everything turning into a spectacle.
From thirteen Subarus sitting in the backyard to a shop full of Skyline GT-Rs, Tommy's story is a great example of what happens when obsession, experience and attention to detail turn into a legitimate business.
If you’re into Skyline GT-Rs, high-end JDM builds, restoration work or just want to hear how a real performance shop gets built from the ground up, this is one you’ll want to hear.
“Being There: Stories from the Road Where We Keep the Rubber Side Down”
Award-winning motorcycle stories from a father, brought to life by his son.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us Fan Mail
Can you still buy a genuinely cool JDM car for under $20,000 in 2026?
In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron go hunting through the current U.S. market to find ten right-hand-drive cars they’d actually consider buying for less than $20K—and the results show just how much the JDM market has changed.
The guys dig through everything from an Evo IV, R32 Skyline GTS-T, Toyota Altezza, JZX90 Mark II Tourer V, and 180SX to some more unusual choices like a Honda Orthia wagon, widebody Mitsubishi Pajero, Mazda Bongo camper, and even a Mitsubishi Minicab food truck.
Along the way, they compare today’s asking prices to what these same cars were selling for only a few years ago, talk about how difficult it has become to find cheap entry-level JDM cars, and debate whether paying $15K–$20K for vehicles that were once considered disposable in Japan actually makes sense.
They also get into the growing value of clean, mostly stock cars, why heavily modified builds can sometimes hurt resale value, and whether certain JDM cars are reaching the point where you can drive them for years and still sell them for more than you paid.
Are affordable JDM imports disappearing for good? Have prices finally leveled off? Or are we going to look back in another five years and wish we bought everything we could at today’s prices?
If you’ve got $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket and want something right-hand drive, this episode might either help you find your next car—or convince you that you should’ve bought one five years ago.
“Being There: Stories from the Road Where We Keep the Rubber Side Down”
Award-winning motorcycle stories from a father, brought to life by his son.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us Fan Mail
When did JDM culture get so serious?
In this episode, Bobby and Aaron take a look back at what made the car scene of the ’90s and early 2000s feel so special—and how much things have changed since then. From magazines, MySpace, CarDomain, cheap project cars, driveway engine swaps, and open-header Hondas to Instagram, TikTok, influencers, six-figure builds, and the never-ending chase for clout, the guys break down how JDM culture went from something raw and experimental to something much more polished—and expensive.
They talk about the massive rise in prices of cars like the Skyline GT-R, Silvia S15, Civic Type R, 180SX and other Japanese icons, whether social media and YouTube helped create the current JDM bubble, and what happens when people start buying these cars because they're trendy rather than because they genuinely love them.
The conversation also gets into Japan's ability to hold onto old-school car culture longer than the U.S., the significance of the 25-year import rule, whether we've already lived through peak JDM import culture, and what happens when there aren't many legendary cars left waiting to become federally legal.
Most importantly, Bobby and Aaron make the case for getting back to what made this stuff fun in the first place: drive your cars, stop worrying about whether your build is impressive enough for the internet, put the phone down once in a while, and enjoy being part of a moment in automotive history that probably won't last forever.
If you remember when a $6,000 JDM Honda or a $7,500 180SX felt expensive, this one's going to hurt a little.
“Being There: Stories from the Road Where We Keep the Rubber Side Down”
Award-winning motorcycle stories from a father, brought to life by his son.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us Fan Mail
In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, Bobby and Aaron leave the pavement behind and dive into a side of JDM culture that doesn't get nearly as much attention — Japanese 4x4s, off-roaders, and overlanding vehicles. While Skylines, Supras, and other '90s performance icons dominate the conversation, Japan has also produced some seriously capable machines built for getting dirty.
We talk about everything from the Suzuki Jimny and Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution to the Toyota Hilux Surf, Land Cruiser 70 Series, Mitsubishi Delica, and some of the more obscure Japanese 4x4s making their way into the United States. We discuss diesel engines, short-wheelbase models, aftermarket support, and why these vehicles are becoming increasingly interesting to American enthusiasts.
We also ask a question we hadn't really considered before: Do Japanese enthusiasts go mudding? We compare Japan's more controlled off-road and overlanding culture with America's obsession with massive tires, horsepower, UTVs, mud holes, and sending it through the woods. Could imported Japanese 4x4s become the next big niche within the American JDM scene?
“Being There: Stories from the Road Where We Keep the Rubber Side Down”
Award-winning motorcycle stories from a father, brought to life by his son.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us Fan Mail
In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, we're joined live from Import Alliance by Joshua Travis, a lifelong Nissan enthusiast whose passion for the brand started early thanks to his father's nearly four-decade career with Nissan. After years of drifting everything from a 350Z to a Corvette, Joshua finally fulfilled a lifelong dream by importing a truly special Nissan Skyline R34 GTT sedan built by the legendary Okubo Factory. 
Joshua shares the entire journey—from searching Japanese auctions and navigating the import process to the excitement of winning the car at auction after it unexpectedly left consignment. We also discuss what makes an Okubo Factory build so unique, the rare June-built 2.6L stroker engine, period-correct Japanese modifications, and why he intentionally chose to preserve the car's identity as a GTT instead of trying to turn it into a GT-R clone. 
We also dive into the realities of importing a car from Japan, avoiding scams, choosing the right importer, and the modifications Joshua has planned as he carefully modernizes the car while staying true to its Japanese roots. It's an episode about patience, passion, and finally owning the Skyline you've dreamed about for years. 
“Being There: Stories from the Road Where We Keep the Rubber Side Down”
Award-winning motorcycle stories from a father, brought to life by his son.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify